ARCADIA, Fla. — Elizabeth Alejo has been desperately trying to find her husband for weeks after what started as a routine traffic stop turned into an immigration detention nightmare.
Watch FOX 4 Community Correspondent Miyoshi Price's exclusive interview with his wife:
Mario Garcia-Falcon was pulled over on Dec. 17 near Hillsboro Avenue and Palm Drive in DeSoto County. She said he did not come to a complete stop at a stop sign. His wife told Price that he's not a U.S. citizen but has been in the legal immigration process since 2022. Alejo did say that he had a few misdemeanors from his past out of Manatee County, but said it was years ago.
"They just took him," Alejo said, standing at the corner where her husband was arrested.
Despite Alejo posting bond that Wednesday afternoon, ICE picked up Garcia-Falcon the next day and transported him to a detention facility.
Now, it's been a confusing maze of transfers and communication breakdowns that highlight the challenges families face when trying to find loved ones in ICE custody.
System delays create confusion for families
According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website, information in their Online Detainee Locator System may be up to eight hours old. ICE policy requires systems to be updated within eight hours of any release, removal or transfer of detainees, though the agency notes that "people planning to visit a detainee should call ahead to the detention facility to confirm the detainee is still at that location."
For Alejo, this delay has created significant confusion. After three weeks at one facility, Garcia-Falcon was transferred again. For five days, she had no communication with him.
"I was so scared. I thought maybe he had been sent to Mexico, but I wanted to hear it from him," Alejo said.
When Garcia-Falcon finally called on Jan. 11, Alejo said he was in tears, calling from Oklahoma. However, the ICE locator system showed him at South Texas Detention Center.
"He said that's where he was supposed to go. But then they changed direction and took him to Oklahoma," Alejo said.
Immigration attorneys report widespread issues
The DeMine Immigration Law Firm in Fort Myers, which Alejo hired to represent her husband, reports seeing similar problems across multiple cases. The firm said they are experiencing an increase in families having difficulty finding loved ones in ICE custody.
"It is taking weeks to know exactly where they are," the firm stated. "We currently have a client that is showing the locator to be in Texas, but the client is telling us they are actually somewhere else."
The attorneys also report cases where individuals are being detained at routine ICE check-ins, including people with pending spousal petitions who entered the country legally and have clear pathways to lawful status with no criminal history.
"They are detaining people who clearly qualify for a bond and have an attorney," the firm noted.
Financial and emotional toll on families
The ordeal has taken a severe toll on Alejo's family. Garcia-Falcon ran their landscaping business, and his absence has created both financial strain and emotional hardship for their three-year-old son and Alejo's two older daughters, whom Garcia-Falcon has helped raise since 2015.
"He is the man that you need an oil change. You need your brakes done. You need help with the kids. You need someone to cook. He is that man. He takes care of us very well, and we all miss him," Alejo said.
The family has paid $6,000 for immigration attorney fees to file a bond motion, which was submitted Jan. 8. They are still waiting for a court hearing.
"Not everyone is able to pay six grand to an immigration lawyer. It's expensive," Alejo said. "Some families do not have means to do so."
Husband came to U.S. as teenager
Garcia-Falcon came to the United States at 15-years-old for a better future for his family. He and Alejo met in 2016 and married in 2019. Alejo filed immigration paperwork for his residency around 2022, and they were told they had about a year left in the process.
Price searched court records in DeSoto and Manatee counties. In Manatee County, Garcia-Falcon was arrested for three misdemeanors, including DUI. He pleaded no contest for that charge.
In DeSoto County, the most recent case, he was arrested for not having a valid driver's license.
For now, Alejo continues to wait for a court hearing while maintaining hope that her husband will be granted bond and allowed to return home while his immigration case proceeds.
"I would say to trust God, he's the only one that will help you through these tough times, and always stay positive, no matter how hard the situation may be," Alejo said. "You can't really do nothing being depressed. You have to keep pushing forward for your family because they hurt."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
